JP3247088U - Sauna equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a dry mist sauna device that provides a comfortable sauna effect through the cooperation of dry mist and a heater-type heating device placed in the sauna room. [Solution] A heating device 6 that serves as a heat source is installed in the sauna room 1, and a dry mist nozzle 26 is installed in a position close to the ceiling surface of the sauna room 1, facing the interior of the room, and dry mist is sprayed from the dry mist nozzle 26 toward the dry air layer that is heated by the heating device 6 and rises due to buoyancy. With this configuration, the dry air layer's air temperature drops and the air humidity increases due to the mixing of dry mist, and as a result, the temperature inside the sauna room 1 quickly reaches the appropriate sauna temperature of 60°C to 80°C, providing an appropriate sauna environment, and the increase in air humidity provides an indoor air environment with high thermal conductivity, efficiently warming the human body inside the sauna room 1 and providing a comfortable sauna effect. [Selected Figure] Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a dry mist sauna device that sprays and supplies dry mist toward a layer of dry air that is heated by a heating device and moves due to buoyancy to the upper part of the sauna room.

Many mist sauna devices have been proposed in the past (see, for example, Patent Documents 1, 2, and 3).

However, the mist sauna devices shown in these patent documents all use a bathroom as a sauna room, and are not equipped with a heating device that uses a heater to heat the heat storage stones placed around it to obtain heated air.
(1) The mist sauna device shown in Patent Document 1 is configured to generate mist by colliding water with the collision plate of an impeller. The particle size of the mist is relatively large, and when this mist comes into contact with people in the bathroom, it creates a sticky feeling, reducing the sauna effect.
(2) The mist sauna device shown in Patent Document 2 heats the bathroom by introducing hot water heated in an external heat source into a heater in the bathroom, while at the same time exchanging heat with a portion of the hot water in a liquid-liquid heat exchanger and spraying the hot water heated by this heat exchange into the bathroom from mist nozzles located inside the bathroom, but this has the problem that it does not provide a high sauna effect.
(3) In the mist sauna device shown in Patent Document 3, air heated by a heat exchanger placed on the ceiling of the bathroom is mixed with water atomized by an atomization means and sprayed into the bathroom from an air outlet. The mist particles are relatively large, and when this mist comes into contact with people in the bathroom, it makes them feel sticky, reducing the sauna effect.

Since these mist sauna devices are used in a bathroom environment, the mist particles are relatively large, and even if they adhere to the body and cause a sticky feeling, it is thought that this is not a big deal. However, if this is a sauna device that is equipped with a full-fledged sauna room, the sticky feeling caused by the mist is something that cannot be overlooked in terms of the comfort of the sauna.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-238995 JP 2014-31971 A JP 2015-62448 A

Therefore, this invention aims to provide a dry mist sauna device in which the mist sprayed is dry mist, and a comfortable sauna effect is achieved by combining this dry mist with a heater-type heating device placed in the sauna room.

The present invention adopts the following configuration as a specific means for solving the above problems.

The first invention of the present application is characterized in that a heating device that serves as a heat source is installed inside the sauna room, and a dry mist nozzle is installed close to the ceiling of the sauna room facing toward the inside of the room, and dry mist is sprayed from the dry mist nozzle toward the layer of dry air that is heated by the heating device and rises due to buoyancy.

Here, dry mist is water in the form of a mist of fine particles of about 0.016 mm, which is obtained by spraying water under high pressure from a dry mist nozzle. The particle size of this dry mist can be changed by adjusting the pressure of the pressure pump.

The second invention of the present application is characterized in that, in the first invention, the heating device and the dry mist nozzle are installed spaced apart on either side of the center of the sauna room when viewed in a plan view.

The third invention of the present application is characterized in that, in the first invention, the heating device and the dry mist nozzle are positioned on one side of the center of the sauna room when viewed in a plan view.

The fourth invention of the present application is characterized in that in the first, second or third invention, the dry mist nozzles are arranged at a predetermined interval on one side of the sauna room when viewed in a plan view.

The fifth aspect of the present invention is the fourth aspect, characterized in that the plurality of dry mist nozzles are operated continuously, intermittently, or selectively.

The sixth invention of the present application is characterized in that in the first, second, third, fourth or fifth invention, the particle size of the dry mist sprayed from the dry mist nozzle is configured to be adjustable.

The present invention provides the following advantages:

(a) In the dry mist sauna apparatus of the first invention of the present application, a heating device that serves as a heat source is installed inside the sauna room, and a dry mist nozzle is installed close to the ceiling of the sauna room, facing toward the inside of the room. Dry mist is sprayed from the dry mist nozzle toward the dry air layer that is heated by the heating device and rises due to buoyancy, and this is mixed together, causing the humidity of the dry air layer to increase and the air temperature to decrease.

As a result, the dry air layer gradually moves downward from the ceiling to the floor due to the decrease in buoyancy caused by the drop in air temperature and the downward action of the subsequent dry air layer which is then heated by the heating device, rises in buoyancy, and remains on the ceiling side. This quickly improves the temperature gradient between the top and bottom of the sauna room, and the temperature inside the sauna room quickly reaches the appropriate sauna temperature of 60°C to 80°C, creating an appropriate sauna environment.

In addition, by increasing the air humidity inside the sauna room, an indoor air environment with high thermal conductivity is obtained, which efficiently warms the human body inside the sauna room and provides a comfortable sauna effect.

(b) According to the second invention of the present application, in addition to the effect described in (a) above, the following unique effect can be obtained: In this invention, in the dry mist sauna apparatus according to the first invention, the heating device and the dry mist nozzle are installed on either side of the center of the sauna room in a plan view, with a distance therebetween, so that the dry mist is sprayed from one side into the dry air layer that has diffused and accumulated near the ceiling surface, which results in horizontal convection in the dry air layer, promoting the mixing of the dry air layer and the dry mist, and more quickly optimizing the air temperature environment in the sauna room.

(c) According to the third invention of the present application, in addition to the effect described in (a) above, the following unique effect can be obtained: In this invention, in the dry mist sauna apparatus according to the first invention, the heating device and the dry mist nozzle are arranged on one side of the center of the sauna room in a plan view, so that the dry air heated by the heating device and rising due to buoyancy is mixed with the dry mist sprayed from the dry mist nozzle and diffused throughout the entire area near the ceiling wall. Therefore, compared to the case where the dry mist sprayed from the dry mist nozzle is mixed with the dry air layer that has diffused and remained near the ceiling wall as described above, the temperature and humidity of the dry air layer change more quickly due to the spraying of the dry mist, and a higher sauna effect can be obtained.

(d) According to the fourth invention of the present application, in addition to the effects described in (a), (b) or (c) above, the following unique effect can be obtained: In this invention, in the dry mist sauna device according to the first, second or third invention, a plurality of dry mist nozzles are arranged at a predetermined interval near one side of the sauna room in a plan view, so that an appropriate mixture of the dry air layer and the dry mist can be obtained over the entire area of the sauna room in the planar direction, thereby realizing a more uniform sauna environment.

(e) According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the effect described in (d) above, the following unique effect can be obtained: That is, in this aspect, by operating the multiple dry mist nozzles in the fourth aspect above continuously, intermittently, or selectively, it is possible to create an optimal environment according to conditions such as the air environment in the sauna room or the distribution of people in the room.

(f) According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the effects described in (a), (b), (c), (d) or (e) above, the following unique effect can be obtained: In other words, in this invention, since the particle size of the dry mist sprayed from the dry mist nozzle can be adjusted, for example, it is possible to adjust the particle size of the dry mist according to the skin condition of the person in the sauna room (e.g., skin that is resistant to dryness or sensitive skin) to obtain a comfortable sauna effect, or to increase the particle size of the dry mist to change the reach distance of the dry mist and increase comfort at a specific position in the sauna room.

1 is a plan view of a dry mist sauna device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a front view of the dry mist sauna device.

The present invention will be described in detail below based on preferred embodiments.

1 and 2 show the overall configuration of a dry mist sauna apparatus Z according to an embodiment of the present invention. This dry mist sauna apparatus Z is configured by disposing a heating device 6 on one side of a floor wall 11 of a sauna room 1 having a rectangular planar shape, and a mist supply unit 20 equipped with a dry mist nozzle 26 on the other side.

"Heating device 6"
The heating device 6 is constructed by arranging an electric heater 6b as a heat source and a number of heat storage stones 6c inside a mesh cylinder 6a of a given size. The surrounding air is heated by the electric heater 6b to become high-temperature air, which then rises due to buoyancy toward the ceiling wall 12 (see the white arrow (a) in Figure 2), where it is retained as a dry air layer 8, raising the indoor temperature on the ceiling wall 12 side of the sauna room 1.

This dry air layer 8 is pushed down by the mist-containing hot air layer 7 which rises later and remains near the ceiling wall 12, and is also subjected to a decrease in the buoyancy force caused by the temperature drop due to the dry mist sprayed from the dry mist nozzles 26 described below and mixed and stirred in the mist-containing hot air layer 7, causing the dry air layer 8 to gradually move downward (see the white arrow (b) in Figure 2). As a result, the temperature gradient between the ceiling wall 12 side and the floor wall 11 side of the sauna room 1 decreases, and the air temperature in the sauna room 1 becomes a temperature suitable for obtaining the sauna effect.

In another embodiment, as shown by a chain line in each figure, the heating device 6 can be disposed close to the approximate center of the side wall 14 on which the dry mist supply unit 20 described below is installed.

"Dry mist supply unit 20"
The dry mist supply unit 20 pressurizes water or hot water and supplies it to the dry mist nozzle 26, which then ejects it as dry mist from the dry mist nozzle 26 toward the dry air layer 8 in the sauna room 1, and includes a water supply tank 21, a pressure pump 22, and a controller 23. The water supply tank 21 is connected to a pipe 24 via the pressure pump 22.

The tip of the pipe 24 is connected to the middle part of a pipe 25 arranged approximately parallel to the side wall 14 at a height position close to the ceiling wall 12 at the upper part of the side wall 14 of the sauna room 1. The pipe 25 branches into a first pipe 25A located on one side of the connection point of the pipe 24 and a second pipe 25B located on the other side, and a gate valve 32 and a gate valve 33 are provided near the branching point, respectively. Furthermore, dry mist nozzles 26 are attached to the first pipe 25A and the second pipe 25B at a predetermined interval in the pipeline direction, facing the other side wall 13 side (the center of the sauna room 1).

The pressure pump 22 and the gate valves 31, 32, 33 are controlled by the controller 23. That is, the pressure of the pressure pump 22 is controlled by the controller 23, and the particle size of the dry mist blown out from the dry mist nozzle 26 is adjusted by the magnitude of this pressure, and the reach distance of the spray flow G blown out from the dry mist nozzle 26 is adjusted.

On the other hand, the gate valve 31 is ON-OFF controlled by the controller 23, and when this is set to ON, the spray flow G can be sprayed from each of the dry mist nozzles 26, and when this is set to OFF, the spray flow G cannot be sprayed from each of the dry mist nozzles 26.

In addition, the gate valves 32 and 33 are individually controlled to be turned on and off. For example, when the gate valve 32 is ON and the gate valve 33 is OFF, the spray flow G is sprayed only from the dry mist nozzle 26 on the first pipe 25A side, and the dry mist nozzle 26 on the second pipe B side is put into a stopped state (intermittent operation state or selective operation state).

On the other hand, when the gate valve 32 is OFF and the gate valve 33 is ON, dry mist is sprayed only from the dry mist nozzle 26 on the second pipe 25B side (spray flow G), and the dry mist nozzle 26 on the first pipe 25A side is put into a stopped state (intermittent operation state or selective operation state).

In addition, when both the gate valve 32 and the gate valve 33 are ON, dry mist is sprayed from both the dry mist nozzle 26 on the first pipe 25A side and the dry mist nozzle 26 on the second pipe 25B side (each dry mist nozzle 26 is in continuous operation state).

In this way, by operating the multiple dry mist nozzles 26 continuously, intermittently, or selectively, it is possible to create an optimal environment according to conditions such as the air environment in the sauna room 1 and the distribution of people in the room, thereby contributing to improving the sauna effect.

"Bench 4 and Step 5"
Just in front of the rear wall 16 of the sauna room 1, a bench 4 on which sauna users can sit or lie and a step 5 on which the seated person can place their feet are provided in a stepped manner one behind the other.

"Operation explanation"
The dry mist sauna apparatus Z is operated by a combination of a high-temperature air generating operation by operating the heating device 6 and a dry mist supplying operation by operating the dry mist supply unit 20 .

Here, first, as shown in FIG. 1, the heating device 6 is disposed near the corner portion of one side wall 13 and the front wall 15 of the sauna room 1, and the dry mist supply unit 20 is in a continuous operating state in which each of the dry mist nozzles 26 is operated simultaneously. The operation will be explained using this as an example.

The high-temperature air heated by the heating device 6 rises due to buoyancy and remains as a dry air layer 8 on the ceiling wall 12 side of the sauna room 1 (see FIG. 2).

On the other hand, a spray flow G of the dry mist is sprayed from each of the dry mist nozzles 26 of the dry mist supply unit 20 toward the dry air layer 8 remaining immediately below the ceiling wall 12. By mixing and stirring with this spray flow G, the air temperature of the dry air layer 8 is lowered and the air humidity is increased.

As a result, the dry air layer 8 gradually moves downward from the ceiling wall 12 side to the floor side due to the decrease in buoyancy caused by the drop in air temperature and the downward action of the subsequent dry air layer 8 which is then heated by the heating device 6, increases in buoyancy, and remains on the ceiling wall 12 side. This quickly improves the temperature gradient between the top and bottom of the sauna room, and the temperature inside the sauna room 1 quickly reaches the appropriate sauna temperature of 60°C to 80°C, creating an appropriate and comfortable sauna environment.

In addition, by increasing the air humidity inside the sauna room 1, an indoor air environment with high thermal conductivity is obtained, and the entire body of the person M inside the sauna room 1 is efficiently warmed, resulting in a more comfortable sauna effect.

In conventional sauna equipment equipped with the heating device 6, when the humidity of the high-temperature air in the sauna room 1 drops and the room becomes very dry, water is poured onto the heat storage stones 6c to generate steam and increase the humidity, a process known as loyly. However, if the amount of water is too much, the thermal conductivity of the air increases rapidly, which can result in burns, and this is difficult to adjust.

However, in the dry mist sauna apparatus Z of this embodiment, the humidity of the dry air layer 8 is increased by the dry mist sprayed and supplied from the dry mist nozzles 26, and the amount of this dry mist supplied is controlled by the controller 23 through the pressure of the pressure pump 22 and the adjustment of the opening of each of the gate valves 32, 33, so that the humidity is always set at an appropriate level, and a stable sauna effect can be continuously obtained with a high degree of safety.

In addition, in the dry mist sauna apparatus Z, the heating device 6 and the dry mist nozzle 26 can be disposed on one side of the center of the sauna room in a plan view. When such an arrangement is adopted, the dry air heated by the heating device 6 and rising due to buoyancy is mixed with the dry mist sprayed from the dry mist nozzle 26 and diffused throughout the entire area near the ceiling wall 12. Therefore, compared to the case where the dry mist sprayed from the dry mist nozzle 26 is mixed with the dry air layer 8 diffused and stagnated near the ceiling wall 12 as described above, the temperature and humidity of the dry air layer 8 change more quickly due to the spraying of the dry mist, and a higher sauna effect can be obtained.

The particle size of the dry mist sprayed from the dry mist nozzle 26 can be changed by adjusting the pressure of the pressure pump 22 by the controller 23. Therefore, for example, it is possible to adjust the particle size of the dry mist according to the skin condition of the person in the sauna room (e.g., skin that is resistant to dryness or sensitive skin) to obtain a comfortable sauna effect, or to increase the particle size of the dry mist to change the reach distance of the dry mist and increase comfort at a specific position in the sauna room.

The dry mist sauna device according to the present invention can be widely used as a sauna device for home use and as a sauna device for commercial use.

Reference Signs List 1 sauna room 4 bench 5 step 6 heating device 7 mist-containing hot air layer 8 dry air layer 20 dry mist supply unit 21 water tank 22 pressure pump 23 controller 24 piping 25 piping 26 dry mist nozzles 31 to 33 gate valve

The sixth aspect of the present invention is the fourth aspect of the present invention, characterized in that the particle size of the dry mist sprayed from the dry mist nozzle is adjustable.

(f) According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the effect described in (d) above , the following unique effect can be obtained: In other words, in this invention, the particle size of the dry mist sprayed from the dry mist nozzle can be adjusted, so that, for example, it is possible to adjust the particle size of the dry mist according to the skin condition of the person in the sauna room (e.g., skin that is resistant to dryness or sensitive skin) to obtain a comfortable sauna effect, or to increase the particle size of the dry mist to change the reach distance of the dry mist and increase comfort at a specific position in the sauna room.

Claims (6)

This dry mist sauna device is characterized in that a heating device serving as a heat source is installed inside the sauna room, a dry mist nozzle is installed near the ceiling surface of the sauna room and faces the inside of the room, and dry mist is sprayed from the dry mist nozzle toward the layer of dry air that is heated by the heating device and rises due to buoyancy. In claim 1,
A dry mist sauna apparatus characterized in that the heating device and the dry mist nozzle are installed on either side of the center of the sauna room, separated from each other in a plan view. In claim 1,
A dry mist sauna apparatus characterized in that the heating device and the dry mist nozzle are arranged on one side of the center of the sauna room when viewed in a plan view. In claim 1, 2 or 3,
The dry mist sauna apparatus is characterized in that a plurality of the dry mist nozzles are arranged at a predetermined interval near one side of the sauna room when viewed in a plan view. In claim 4,
A dry mist sauna apparatus characterized in that the plurality of dry mist nozzles are operated continuously, intermittently or selectively. In claim 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5,
A dry mist sauna device characterized in that the particle size of the dry mist sprayed from the dry mist nozzle is adjustable.

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